Writing is an essential life skill. It is a critical area of literacy instruction and high-stakes assessments. However, emphasis on writing instruction and assessment has not correlated with widespread writing proficiency. Within this context, teachers experience the phenomenon of writing instructional leadership. Teachers' preparation as writers and writing instructors may impact their writing identities, understanding of writing development, and instruction. Graham's writer(s)-within-community model provided the foundation for this interpretative phenomenological analysis. Eight purposefully selected teachers from various teaching preparation backgrounds, experiences, and teaching assignments participated in a series of in-depth interviews. The study explored teachers' experiences with writing development, preparation to teach writing, external forces impacting their instructional decisions, and writing instructional practices. Participants revealed an appreciation for collegiality, collaboration, and autonomy. They described the impacts of assessment-based writing and external decisions on their writing instruction. Finally, participants described experiences in professional learning communities and writing classroom communities that contributed to their identities as writers and writing instructors. The study's findings pose implications for teachers' use of evidence-based practices, decision-making relevant to teacher autonomy, and collaboration. Future research should explore teachers' experiences as leaders of writing communities across varied contexts over the course of a school year. Additional studies may implement mixed methods to examine teachers' instructional beliefs and decisions and their correlation to student writing identities, performance, and attitudes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]